Mail-box.



MAIL B0X. APPLIOATIO FILED APL-"l, 1908.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JACOB BECKER, OF SEATTLE, WASHINGTON, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO SARAH MCCANDLISH, OF SEATTLE, WASHINGTON.

MAIL-BOX.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 1, 1907.

Application filed .Aprily 7. 1906. Serial No. 310,551.

To all whom t may aorwerm' Be it known that I, JACOB BECKER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Seattle, in the county of King and State of Washington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mail-Boxes, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of devices embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a front elevation ofthe same, also shown partly in section; and Fig. 3 is a perspective detail view of mechanism employed in carryingout the invention.

The object of this invention is the improvement in mail-boxes, and more particularly to aord means whereby a person can open the mail-receiving slot with his foot and requiring only the use of one hand in making the deposit, while the other can be utilized for holding packages or the like instead of being required for manipulating the said shutter.

With this end in view the invention consists in the novel construction, adaptation, and combination of parts, as will be hereinafter described, and pointed out in the .ap-

pended claims.

In the drawings, A represents a mail-box of ordinary or suitable construction, which is supported upon a hollow column or post B.

- The mail-box` is provided at its top with an upwardly-protrudin curved hood C, having an opening C at its ront.

Tiltably connected to the sides of the box, as by pivots d, is a shutter D, which is adapted to close said opening and is provided at its ends with sector-shaped flanges D, having in the periphery of one or both of them gear-teeth D. E is a horizontally-disposed spindle, which is j ournaled in the box ends and carries a sector gear or gears E to mesh with the toothed portion or portions of the said shutter-flanges. Centrally of and rigidly connected to the said spindle is an arm E, which protrudes through apertures a and b, respectively, of the box and post and interiorly of the latter is connected by a' rod G with a lever H, positioned at or near the bottom of the post and extending for a short distance outwardly therefrom to provide a foot-pedal.

In practice the sector-gears are made sufiiciently heavy to overcome the opposing weights of the foot-pedal and attachments, so that after the shutter has been opened by a pressure downward by the foot of the operator upon the said pedal when released the shutter'will be automaticallyclosed.

The advantages of the invention residev simple and inexpensive construction and oc-.

cupies but little more space than does the ordinary type of street mail-boxes, where one hand is required for manipulating the shutter and the other for putting the mail vinto the box.

Various changes can obviously be made in the arrangement and details of construction within the scope of the claims without departing from the spirit of the invention or sacrificing its advantages.

What-I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A mail-box provided with a hood at its top having a front opening therein, in combination with a tiltable shutter adapted to close said opening and having sector-shaped end flanges formed with peripheral teeth, a spindle, sector-gears mounted on said spindle and in mesh with the peripheral teeth of said flanges, an arm on the spindle, a footpedal, and a rod connecting the arm with the pedal.

2. In combination with a hollow post, a mail-box secured to said post and provided with an opening through which mail is deposited in the box, of a shutter adapted to normally close said opening, a spindle, gear connection between the shutter and the spindle, an arm on the spindle, a foot-pedal in the said post and extending outwardly therefrom, and the connection between said pedal and said arm.

In testimony whereof I aiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JACOB BECKER.

Witnesses:

PIERRE BARNES, P. D. HIBNER.

ICO 

